Disruption Ain’t What It Used to Be
The journals business has not been disrupted and does not appear likely to be disrupted for some time. Journals publishers continue to dominate the institutional market and are seeking to coopt Gold OA services.
What Keeps a Train on a Track? It's Not What You Might Think
A question you’ve probably never thought to ask, an answer that is more insightful than you might have imagined.
Interesting Findings from Ithaka S&R's Latest Faculty Survey
A new survey reinforces so long-term trends, but shows some surprising reversals that anyone interested in scholarly communication should note.
Stick to Your Ribs: Going Legit: The Difficult Path from Piracy to Partnership
Though social networking websites continue to proliferate, turning them into sustainable, revenue-generating businesses is still a difficult prospect. For sites based on the illegal distribution of copyrighted material, the process is even more difficult. Is it possible for a pirate to become a respected member of the business community?
A Matter of Perspective — Elsevier Acquires Mendeley . . . or, Mendeley Sells Itself to Elsevier
Elsevier acquires Mendeley, changing the game significantly, perhaps for most of us.
Another Door Opens (Quietly) for MOOCs
Recent initiatives around MOOCs, if successful, may open a completely new chapter in the history of colleges and universities. It’s hard to see what serious roadblocks remain.
How Rigorous Is the Post-publication Review Process at F1000 Research?
Comparing the length of post-publication peer reviews in F1000 Research to those done pre-publication in four major medical journals shows authors are less likely to receive constructive or substantial criticism with F1000 Research reviews, despite a highly academic reviewer pool.
Is It Time for Scholarly Journal Publishers to Begin Distributing Articles Using EPUB 3?
EPUB 3 reveals many smart advances, making EPUB a more viable direction than ever. And with the changing landscape of reading devices and customer preferences, even the vaunted PDF may feel the tremors.
Book Review — "Academic and Professional Publishing"
A new book for scholarly publishers updates a classic, and shows just how diverse, interesting, and promising scholarly publishing has become.
SXSW Interactive — Where the Geeks (and Geek Watchers) Go
SXSW 2013 is heavy on hardware, invention, lessons about taking risks and exploring, usability, and discussions about how best to achieve authority and credibility.
Stick to Your Ribs: Skeuomorphic Publishing — How to Fit a Square Peg Into a Round Hole
Digital publishing continues to borrow its shape from its predecessors in print. Truly creative individuals are necessary to work with new media on their own terms.
Whoops! Are Some Current Open Access Mandates Backfiring on the Intended Beneficiaries?
OA mandates like the RCUK mandate seem to have aspects that actually put the burdens of OA on the academics, universities, taxpayers, and scientists they were meant to help.
Welcome to the Surveillance Society of Google Glass — Should We Be Worried or Relieved?
Google Glass has the potential to transform personal, social, and political relationships dramatically. Is this increased surveillance in the hands of Google an improvement? Or is it just another sign of problems ahead?
A Thousand Posts — A Milestone or a Millstone?
When your blog lets you know it’s impressed with your production level, you know you’ve done something that’s both impressive and regrettable.
Copyright Transfer As a Click-through – It’s So Easy to Sign Away Your Rights
Click-through agreements are efficient for publishers and software companies to offer, but is it right for this efficiency to cloud the rights picture? Can’t we create systems that are slightly more subtle and customized?